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Kamikochi

I sat on the far back of the bus, away from most people. It was going to be an hour and 5-minute ride from Shin-shimashima bus terminal to Kamikochi— the Japanese version of the Alps. I kept on fidgeting as I wait for the bus to leave.

It was a Facebook post in November by one of my colleagues. The scenery in the photo amazed me. I wondered in which country she went. I looked at the comments under the photo to find some clues. Surprisingly, the place isn’t abroad. It’s just here in Japan.

It had almost been eight months and I was reminded of the Alps. I wanted to go somewhere for my birthday weekend. I’d been attempting to book a flight to Taiwan, but I was torn because the view of nature in Kamikochi was something I could not wait to see. In the end, I chose to travel domestically.

It was around 10:35 am when the bus finally arrived in Kamikochi. I must have drunk a lot of water before the journey because right after getting off, I just had to run to the restroom. I knew I was going to walk for several kilometers in a forest, so I just had to stuff myself with food. I looked around for a place to eat at the arrival terminal. I had ramen for lunch and then I was off to find the most important thing in my list — the bear bell.

I scolded myself for forgetting to bring a jacket. The place is situated on a high ground so it felt cold to just wear a simple blouse which doesn’t even have long sleeves. In the end, I did manage as the long walks kept me warm. In situations where I couldn’t see a single hiker in view, my heart rate would go faster and I made sure my bear bell tinkled louder.

How To Get There:

From Matsumoto Station, take the ALPICO Line for SHINSHIMASHIMA and get off at SHINSHIMASHIMA station. It takes 30 min and costs ¥700. From SHINSHIMASHIMA station, take the bus bound to Kamikochi.